EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini on Saturday visited Libya’s capital, Tripoli, to reopen the bloc’s diplomatic presence and border assistance mission.
“The return of the diplomatic presence of the EU in Libya will further strengthen cooperation with the government, local authorities and the United Nations,” the EU said in a statement.
The EU relocated its Libya delegation to Tunisia’s capital, Tunis, in 2014, as the country was mired in chaos after the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.
Mogherini met the head of Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and Foreign Minister Mohamed al-Taher Siala, alongside the UN’s envoy for Libya Ghassan Salame, the EU said.
Europe is keen to see stability return to Libya to help stem the flow of migrants making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean from North Africa.
Rival Libyan leaders agreed to a French-brokered deal in May to hold elections by the end of this year, but skepticism remains high over whether a vote can take place.
Mogherini “restated the European Union’s support for the Libyan political process, in the framework provided by the United Nations, including preparations for elections”, the EU said.
Together with al-Sarraj, she also discussed training Libya’s coastguard and securing the country’s land borders, the EU added.
Meanwhile, France and Malta have agreed to take 50 migrants each out of 450 stranded at sea on two EU border agency vessels, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Saturday after pressing his European peers to keep their promise to share the burden.
“France and Malta will respectively take 50 migrants each ... other countries will follow very quickly,” Conte said on his Facebook page.
Earlier on Saturday, Italy and Malta were at loggerheads again over whose responsibility it was to offer the 450 migrants on board the two EU Frontex vessels a safe harbor.
Conte said he had spent the day in contact with his 27 EU peers, reminding them that they had agreed at a summit at the end of last month on the need to share the burden of dealing with the migrant influx.
In a letter addressed to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and EU President Donald Tusk, Conte demanded others should help and not leave Italy in the lurch.
“In this context which always sees Italy in the frontline of saving lives at sea, I ask you for a clear sign on sharing the responsibility of managing the migrant issue and to envisage the possibility of a port taking in, or to take charge of some of the 450 migrants picked up,” he said.
The migrants, like thousands of others, had set sail from Libya in a single wooden vessel, which was identified early on Friday while passing through waters under Malta’s jurisdiction.
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